THE CHEAT SHEET- Week 2

editors note: The Cheat Sheet is our weekly College Football preview

This actually means something for once... maybe....

One of the best weeks ever in College Football is upon us. Week 2 this year has so many great games, you will not be disappointed no matter what region of the country you live in. While all the games have great potential on paper, what they will mean later on in the season isn't so clear right now. While some games will have BCS implications, others will be great as measuring sticks of how good some conferences will be.  All times listed are local kickoff.

NOTRE DAME/MICHIGAN 2:30 NBC 

Rich Rodriguez's team came out like a champ against a good UConn team Saturday. Denard Robinson set the school record for quarterback rushing in a game. While Brian Kelly had a good win versus Purdue in his debut. I'm very apprehensive to make either team better than they seemed to be from last weekend. Notre Dame had only 25 minutes of possesion, and this is not abnormal from what Kelly did at Cincinatti; the Bearcats ranked at the very bottom of D-1 last year with barely 26 minutes of posession last season. What will make or break Michigan in this game is the defense led by Greg Robinson. They didn't give up a lot of points due to UConn turnovers last week, but you have to wonder how much longer this team can let that happen and keep points off the scoreboard. I think Michigan may have the better offense in this game (although Robinson will not be able to run as much), but Notre Dame should be able to put the ball in the end zone better than UConn was able to. Obviously ball control is much more important to Kelly than time of posession. If ND makes every touch count, look for them to win. This game will be MUCH more important to Rodriguez to win than Brian Kelly. If Robinson struggles and Michigan loses, the outcry for sitting Tate Forcier will go from 0 to light speed in no time flat. The pressure is on for Michigan to win, and winning in South Bend will go a very long way.

at the Horseshoe even. will Miami's crowd travel?

MIAMI/OHIO STATE 2:30 ESPN

First and foremost, the first thing this game ISN'T is a rematch of the NC game, the makeup for the Pass Interference game.. whatever you want to say. Since we're in 2010, you're going to have to move on a little bit for that. This game is the marquee game for Jacory Harris to show America how good everyone tells us he is. Outside of the ACC, this will be the toughest, loudest, and biggest croud he will ever face in his college career. Ohio St.'s defense wasn't really tested by Marshall last week, so they will be challenged in this game. I have told people how much better Terrell Pryor is, and this is the game he has to prove it. Miami's secondary is for the taking in this game, and Pryor looked sharp and tuned in to his receivers, especially Dane Sanzenbacher. Winning this game will go a long way with the voters this year, especially with Boise State breathing down Ohio State and Alabama's neck waiting for a slip-up.

they call you "Big game Bob", right?.... right?

FLORIDA STATE/OKLAHOMA 2:30 ABC National

Bob Stoops used to love games like this. Remember earlier in his career, where he would own games like this ESPECIALLY in Norman? This is the game where he needs to get that feeling back. Florida State looked pretty good last week versus Samford. Christian Ponder had one of his best games in his career, and the 35 points in the second quarter was just like the early 90's in Talahassee. The Sooners, on the other had, struggled in the second half to keep a lead versus Utah State. Defensively, OU lost composure on some plays with needless penalties and secondary breakdowns, while offensively Landry Jones was saved by a great performance by DeMarco Jones. Oklahoma has to make a very big jump in this game, but should be helped by this game being in Norman. Jimbo Fisher's team should be well equipped to come into Gaylord/Memorial and handle whatever Oklahoma can throw them, but I also expect the OU defense to play much better this week.

one of them knows where he is, the other just sharted his pants. GUESS.

PENN STATE/ALABAMA 7:00 ESPN

There will be no White-Out in Tuscaloosa this Saturday Night. Penn State comes into town on the "Joe-Paterno-retirement-that-will-never-happen" tour, and brings a freshman starting quarterback into Bryant-Denny. editors note.. have to wait a moment for Nick Saban to stop drooling.. ok, good to go! While popluarity contest winner Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram will be missing his second straight game with a knee issue, Greg McElroy and Julio Jones will be more than enough to make up for it. While Stephfon Green and Evan Royster will need to rush JUST A BIT BETTER for Penn State to have any chance. I think Penn State can make this a closer game that most people think, however Alabama is too disciplined to let a freshman QB beat them.

this would worry most teams. Chip Kelly? "child, please."

OREGON/TENNESSEE 6:00 ESPN2 

Both teams looked very good last week. Oregon blew New Mexico out of the water in Eugene, while Tennessee kept the money in-state by laying it to Tennessee-Martin (WAY TO SHARE IN THESE ECONOMIC TIMES.) I hope Matt Simms can throw the ball just as well, because Kenjon Barner is going to run all over Tennessee's defense. Tennessee and the SEC, with the way Ole Miss and LSU slacked it off last week, needs this victory more than Oregon at this point in the season. One thing that Tennessee will not be able to take advantage of is the home field advantage of Neyland Stadium. One place that is louder than Neyland is Autzen Stadium, where the Ducks play. Kelly's team will not be scared of the atmosphere because their team creates it so well and can deal with it very well.

Coaches who need to consult realtors to sell multi million dollar homes in these times:

Les Miles - the fact that you chose Jordan Jefferson AGAIN to lead this offense should be the reason you get fired, much less the fact that North Carolina trailed by 20 and threw into the end zone twice in the final minute for the win. This week, LSU goes against Vanderbilt and Robbie Caldwell, who has charm and is pleasing to the press, something Les isn't right now. A combined loss here and to Michigan, and the rumors will start again.

Houston Nutt - It's KARMA that Mississippi lost to JACKSONVILLE STATE YO. What is more shocking is how it happened, with a 3 score lead at halftime. It couldn't have happened to the second most over rated coach the country (unfortunately, #1 is occupied by that doosh in Fayetville, so Nutt can't even win his division there!). Ole Miss gets Tulane this weekend, and I will easily say that if Nutt can't blow the Green Wave out of the building by the third quarter (because whoopin em at half JUST DOESN'T F'ING CUT IT), he will be the first coach fired in 2010. If you're going to trust Masoli, then just give him the ball and milk how he's 'doing the right thing', lord knows your defense s**t the bed.

THIS WEEK'S CONSUMABLES:

It's gonna be a long day watching all this football. Make this twice Saturday. Once early, and then later as you need it:

Buffalo Wings

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

Prep Time:15 minInactive Prep Time:1 hr Cook Time: 40 min

Ingredients

•12 whole chicken wings

•3 ounces unsalted butter

•1 small clove garlic, minced

•1/4 cup hot sauce

•1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Place a 6-quart saucepan with a steamer basket and 1-inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Using kitchen shears, or a knife, separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings into the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry. Lay the wings out on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Replace the paper towels with parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook another 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

While the chicken is roasting, melt the butter in a small bowl along with the garlic. Pour this along with hot sauce and salt into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken and stir to combine.

Remove the wings from the oven and transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm.

As a beverage, use something that will start harsh, yet for some reason feel better later, much like tailgating at the Grove on a Saturday morning:

Long Island Iced Tea (LIT)

Recipe courtesy Ken Hall, Legends of Bartending

Ingredients

•1/2-ounce vodka (recommended: Skyy Vodka)

•1/2-ounce gin (recommended: Beefeater Gin)

•1/2-ounce light rum

•1/2-ounce Triple Sec (recommended: Hiram Walker Triple Sec)

•3 ounces sour mix (recommended: Finest Call Sour Mix)

•Ice

•Cola (recommended: Coca-Cola)

•Lemon wedge, for garnish

Directions

Combine first 5 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a 14-ounce beverage glass. Top with soda and garnish with a lemon wedge. Serve with a tall straw

AHHHH... so nice, tasty. Enjoy responsibly of course, unless you're home and your team loses. In that case, mix every bottle in a garbage can and dunk your head in it.

CREEPY MASCOT OF THE WEEK:  Lil Red

He can bounce on his head, he can convulse violently like a epileptic person at a disco. He scares children as well as old men. And, he is a movie star!

TONIGHT RALPHIE, YOU DINE IN HELL!!!

AND THE FINAL RANT OF THE WEEK:

Is it basketball season yet? Everyone in Lawrence hopes so, because the ole football team at the UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS ESQUIRE decided to give out lobotomy's to the entire team to rid themselves of the memory of Mark Mangino, and they must have dug into the brain too much because Kansas looked like a Russian prison team in LOSING TO SOUTH DAKOTA STATE. Kinda ironic here, because the head coach of Kansas, Turner Gill, happened to lose to a team coached by Craig Bohl. Both coaches were turned down by Nebraska for Bo Pelini (Bohl fired in 2002 from Nebraska, replaced as DC by Pelini, Gill turned down by Tom Osborne for Pelini as HC at the end of 2007). I have severe reservations with Gill being sucessful at Kansas. This team peaked with a BCS appearance after their best season with Mangino, and the school took that money and "improved" the football program with planting trees around the practice field. Memorial Stadium in Lawrence is below par with many of the high profile High School programs in Texas, much less Division 1 or Big 12 schools. It's a basketball school first, foremost, and you better not forget it. And next year, they (along with 8 other schools) will be Texas' BITCH in the Big 12-2/what money Beebe "promises" conference. Dont think that Mangino shouldn't have been ran out of KU; he deserved it with what he said to a lot of players. That being said, don't expect much of anything out of that program in a long time. With this ticket scandal forcing AD Lew Perkins into early retirement, there will be very little attention paid to anything but the moneymaker in Phog Allen Fieldhouse. KU has a history of running out good coaches because they want more attention for their football team (Glen Mason comes to mind).

Enjoy all the games this weekend, folks. I will be back Sunday with a review of the weekend.

Is it Leinart, or perhaps USC?

With the imminent release of Matt Leinart by the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, the question of whether or not he will be the future of the Cardinals and the cornerstone of the franchise at quarterback are finally laid to rest.

Following his Heisman Trophy winning junior season at Southern California in 2004, Leinart made the decision to return to the school and give a national title one more run, and in the process turned down the chance to undoubtedly be the #1 overall draft pick in the 2005 NFL draft, instead leaving the 49ers to choose Alex Smith. After one more season at USC, Leinart was once again a Heisman finalist, and would eventually finally be chosen in the draft, only this time, he fell to the Cardinals at 10th instead of going in the top 3 overall (I do not say 1st overall as the Texans and Saints had their quarterbacks at that time), and second amongst quarterbacks.

He was practically handed the keys to the franchise as the only QB on the roster with any real experience was a supposedly washed up Kurt Warner, and it was only a quarter of the way through  the 2006 season that Leinart became the starter, and for a rookie, did ok with the job.  He began 2007 as the starter as well, but early on in the season, suffered a season ending injury, giving Kurt Warner much of a season to gel with the offense, eventually leading him to win the starting quarterback job in 2008 after Leinart was again called the starter early on.  We all know what happened with the Cardinals under Warner after that.

That leads us to 2010, Warner retired, one season standout Derek Anderson brought in to be the backup, and Leinart once again named the starter early on.  Once again, he could not hold onto the job, and today, finally was released by the team, ending the roller coaster ride.

It is with this that makes us wonder if this was because of Leinart, or perhaps it goes deeper back to his days at USC, and was he ever really the QB so many thought he would be, or does USC just have that good of a system and surrounding players to lead us all to believe so.

Nowhere will we begin to discuss defensive players from USC, as the vast majority of them are speaking for themselves at the pro level.  Same goes with offensive lineman.  But we must wonder about the skill players on offense, and were most of them really ever that good?

In the time that Pete Carroll was head coach at USC before moving on to the Seattle Seahawks this season, this seemed so easy for the Trojans out west in the PAC-10.  They easily dominated recruiting out west and even had a large footprint nationwide, bringing in numerous 4 and 5 star recruits and littering their roster with them.  For the majority of the decade under Carroll, USC was a fixture as a top 10 ranked team.  But the players he coached, Leinart included, was it because of some of their superior play, or was it because they were surrounded by teammates who were on the same level as them, far superior to much of their opposition, and padding their numbers?

The first big offensive draft pick under Carroll was that of Carson Palmer going first overall in 2003 to the Cincinnati Bengals, and while he has had a few years in his six year career that were pro bowl caliber, he has been far less than great to this point, especially when he gets compared to a fellow top pick in Peyton Manning, by whom all top draft QB's will always be compared.  Only twice has Palmer posted a season rating over 90, and some will point to the fact that he suffered a severe knee injury in the 2006 playoffs, but the second best season of his career was that ensuing 2006 season.

Since Palmer, there have been several highly drafted offensive skill players, or those drafted in the first few rounds with high hopes, and to this point, none have yet to live up the the hype they left school with.  Mike Williams was picked 10th overall in 2005 following a season out of football, and never even began to live up to that draft position.

Would the guy on the left
have been the better pick?

2006 brought about the selections of Leinart by Arizona, one spot ahead of Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt, who many analysts thought the Cardinals should have picked, and 2005 Heisman Trophy winning running back Reggie Bush by the Saints, second overall.  Bush has never been able to handle being an every down running back, and has been much of a disappointment in his 4 years in the league, being best used as a 3rd down back and punt returner.  Along with Leinart and Bush, The Tennessee Titans selected Bush's running mate LenDale White in the second round, who like Bush, was a standout with the Trojans, but as a pro, has battled weight problems and has been little more than a middle of the road running back, even since moving on to and being cut by Carroll as a Seahawk this off season.

Since the selections of Bush and Leinart, there has since only been one first round selection of an offensive skill player out of USC, that being Mark Sanchez at 6th overall in the 2009 draft, who gained increasing hype from the media after the end of the 2008 college season, even after Carroll publicly said he could use one more season of college ball.  In his one season as a pro, he was far less than stellar, posting a QB rating of a mere 63.0, nothing to write home about.

Perhaps NFL teams are learning from mistakes of recent draft selections of USC offense skill players, as receivers who shined in college have slipped in drafts, and done little as a pro to this point.  Dwayne Jarrett was a star following the departure of Williams, but slipped to the 2nd round in 2007, and has done very little to show he is even worth that.  Jarrett's teammate in those years, Steve Smith was taken shortly after him by the Giants, and it took him three years as a pro to do much of anything, and has since begun to show he is worthy, but he was the far overlooked receiver coming out of that draft.  Patrick Turner was a 3rd round selection of the Dolphins in 2009, and was just cut in the past two days, ending that tenure quickly.

It appears that perhaps it was not that Matt Leinart just got worse once he became a professional, it appears that he may never have had the ability to begin with that so many believed he had.  He dropped to 10th in the 2006 draft for a reason, because his footwork had issues, and he lacked arm strength, problems that never were a problem while at USC when he had the very best lineman blocking for him and some of the best skill players to hand the ball off to and throw to.

Yes, Leinart did nothing but regress from his first year with Arizona to the point of his release, and enough of that was on him.  He had a future hall of famer to learn from.  He had star wide receivers to throw to in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.  It was up to him to put the work in to take the job, and he never did.

Perhaps when Pete Carroll chose to pass up on his own college running back in Joe McKnight in his first draft with the Seahawks he knew something.  He knew that his players while at USC had talent, but knew they were over hyped because they were surrounded by some of the very best players in the college game, and were not quite the NFL star caliber that they were presumed to be.

Top 10 NFL Players who need to be cut

This list is of 10 players, actually more, but some grouped together, who need to just flat out be cut by the NFL teams for whatever reason, they are annoying, a distraction, or it would just flat out be funny for us fans.

Lately, this is the best place
for Barber to be, the bench.

10. Marion Barber III RB Cowboys - No other running back in the league 'overruns' more than this guy, and rarely has much positive to show for it afterward, yet he still pops up after every 2 foot run bouncing around like a fool and pounding his chest like he did something good.  He jumps up like that EVERY SINGLE TIME.  Then to add to that, he finds ways to get hurt on open breakaway runs like against the Giants, and annoys fantasy owners nationwide because he gets carries, taking away from the far more talented Felix Jones, and for whatever reason, making the Cowboy coaching staff believe that he is somehow good, and should get carries, relegating the best back on the team, Tashard Choice to Wildcat and bench duty.

Time to go Marion, hear there may be a spot for you in Denver, they don't have enough under performing backs just yet.

He is finding new ways
to butcher the offense.

9. Jason Garrett OC Cowboys - This has nothing to do with Cowboy hating, as there may be a 3rd one later on this list, but most Cowboy fans would have to agree with them all.  He has quite possibly the most talented offensive bunch in all of football (Yes Saints fans, more talented then you all), yet consistently finds new ways to do very little with it.  After finding a needle in a haystack with Miles Austin last year, and kick starting their offense after Roy Williams forgot everything he once knew, they closed out the regular season with a dominating win over the Eagles, followed by a repeat a week later to start the playoffs.  Then came to stellar output of 3, which is exactly how many points they managed to score against the Vikings in a 34-3 drubbing.  THREE!!!

If that didn't seem bad enough to end the season, if this year's preseason is any indicator (which we know you can't take a lot from preseason, but still), it's going to be a very long season for the uber talented Cowboy offense. In 4 games, their first team offense has put together 1 TD, and were outscored 20-0 by the Texans first team offense a week ago. The line looks to have no interest in blocking, and Garrett's play calling still appears to be very bland and uninspiring.

Jet fans may not be seeing
this anytime soon again

8. Darrelle Revis CB Jets and Vincent Jackson WR Chargers - These two 'stud' players must be grouped together because they are both on this list for the same annoying reason. They both had extremely good 2009 seasons, breakout seasons for each, and now, heading into the 2010 season, both are still currently holding out wanting more money, AFTER ONE GOOD SEASON! Both have said many times they are willing to sit out the entire season if they need to, and show no signs of changing that stance. Yeah, forget your teams, it's all about you. Both are on teams who would arguably be on a collision course for the AFC Title game, yet both are being so damn selfish and demanding so much money that they are willing to not help.

Again, AFTER ONE GOOD SEASON!!! 

While we're at it, let's just add Jackson's teammate Marcus McNeill to the list, although he has done it over a longer period of time.

Who else can this man punch?

7.  LeGarrette Blount RB Titans - Strictly making this list not because of his talent, or as a player, but strictly because we all just want to see if he would punch someone in the front office after he is informed he is cut.

He clearly has talent to be a good running back in the NFL, but when he has already punched someone with the Titans, and he has never even played a down in the NFL regular season, he may never get an opportunity to show any of that talent.  The man who will be remembered for punching the Boise State player and then QUICKLY back peddling, is now doing his best to be remembered the same way as a pro, even if in a short stint as one.

6. ANY Patriots running back (Or two) - Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Benjarvis Green-Ellis, it really doesn't matter, just cut one, maybe even two of them, it's so damn confusing up there in Patriot land.  Even Tom Brady is probably thoroughly confused at who he may be turning it around handing it to.

Taylor seems like he's been around forever, still clearly has talent, but only if healthy.  Maroney is a career underachiever, and has had numerous problems staying healthy, combined with his stints in Bellichik's doghouse.  Who knows about Sammy Morris, who always seems to produce the most, yet suddenly loses carries.  Faulk catches a ton of balls, can run, so what's the answer, give him fewer touches. 

From a fantasy football perspective, it's a severe headache to deal with it each week and season. 

CUT ONE ALREADY!!!

Think the Redskins regret this moment?

5.  Albert Haynesworth DT Redskins - The man who may always best be remembered because of his stomp to the head of Andre Gurode while with the Titans, and is now the $100 million mistake in Washington.  Signed prior to last season, stayed relatively quiet in 2009, but with the hiring of Mike Shanahan and head coach, and a change in the defensive philosophy, he immediately began throwing a fit, saying he wouldn't play, or wanted to be traded, whatever his whining was in the current week.  Then when he decided he would participate and play, he failed multiple conditioning tests before finally figuring out how to pass one.  Even Mike Golic demonstrated on ESPN how to pass the test, and he hasn't played IN YEARS.

Even Reggie couldn't get this right.

4. Reggie Bush RB Saints and Darren McFadden RB Raiders - 2 highly touted running backs coming out of college who seemingly can do anything. They can make dynamic plays, have incredible breakaway speed, and can catch and tun a short play into something huge. McFadden could even throw when called upon. Both were highly drafted, Bush 2nd to the Saints after the Texans shocked everyone by drafting Mario Williams #1 overall. McFadden 5th to the Raiders to accommodate JaMarcus Russell (How's that going now?) Neither has done much in the NFL except for try and make plays and consistently be stuff. Oh, and spend time injured, they both have mastered that skill.

The last time Roy Williams
showed any sign of being good

3. Roy E. Williams WR Cowboys - For obvious reasons, he needs to just flat out be cut, and move on.  The Cowboys appear to be worried about the money that would be wasted after they signed him to a huge deal prior to the 2009 season, and cut T.O. in the process.  All he's done since signing is drop balls, and more balls, and be completely overshadowed by breakout star Miles Austin.  He has continued to tell everyone how he's a star and the #1 on the team, yet nobody else associated with the Cowboys knows that information.

It's ok Dallas, the Bengals showed how you can cut someone who you owe a lot to with Antonio Bryant (Who would have made this list).  At least the Cowboys got some time from Williams, so there's a plus in there somewhere.

Leinart can't get past these days and
realize a team was handed to him.

2. Matt Leinart QB Cardinals - He may very well be traded in the coming days, or cut, with the longest shot of actually somehow remaining as an Arizona Cardinal come final cut downs.  He had the job handed to him after the retirement of future hall of famer Kurt Warner, and has done nothing to show he deserves it.  He appears to be in the process of losing it to one season standout Derek Anderson, a man who has done little positive since 2007. 

Leinart has done very well at protecting the ball and completing passes in the preseason thus far, but when you have Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, Early Doucet at your disposal with Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower in the backfield, you need to make plays.  At the rate he's going, he may complete 75% of his passes as a starter and average about 142 yards per game.  That's not going to cut it in Arizona after the standard Warner set.

Hopefully, some team will give something in return for him.

SERIOUSLY?!?!?

1. Troy Polomalu S Steelers - This has nothing to do with him as a player.  He is quite possibly the very best safety in all of the NFL.  With him, the Steelers are an extremely dangerous defense.  Without him, you get what you got last season while he was injured.

He is here because anybody who insures their hair for $1,000,000 deserves to be cut.  Nothing else needs to really be said.  It's your hair, it looks absolutely goofy, it's doesn't need to be insured.  Time for someone to go Larry Johnson on him and tackle him by it.

Cliff Lee......SABOTAGE?!?!?!?

Some want to believe this guy is purposely throwing games
for the Rangers.

If you're in an around the DFW area, and heck, even nationwide if you listen to Colin Cowherd's take on Cliff Lee, sabotage and mailing it in is becoming more and more common in recent weeks when people talk about Cliff Lee's performances with the Texas Rangers. 

HOW DARE ANYBODY STRUGGLE IN A LONG 6 MONTH SEASON!!!!

Since joining the Rangers just prior to the all-star break this season, he is 2-5 with a 4.69 ERA, double his ERA from the first part of the season with the Mariners, and the mood quickly changed around DFW from pure jubilation for each one of his starts and complaining that he wasn't getting ANY run support to now going so far to calling the trade a complete mistake, and some of the extreme comments saying he is purposely trying to sabotage this team to make sure they do not win and get into the playoffs.

REALLY?!?!?!?

No, the guy has been far from a real shut down ace in his stint with the Rangers thus far.  He has had some starts where it was true greatness, like the 13 strikeout 9 inning performance against the A's in late July (not a complete game as the team had to win in extra innings 3-1), and going at least 8 innings in his first 6 starts with the team, but in recent weeks over his last 4 starts, there has been some clear struggles, and now panic is quickly setting in with regards to Lee, some even saying he is not the ace of the staff and doesn't deserve the ball in game 1 of the playoffs, and even saying that he may not be worth the attempt to resign the guy.

Oh how "fans" can jump ship so quickly and bash a guy just like that.  Most likely, these are the same "fans" who didn't even give the Rangers a second thought back in April, and constantly found something else to do than follow the Rangers prior to them winning and leading the division.

Let's take a LONG look back in time to oh....2009.  He was acquired by Philadelphia just prior to the trade deadline last season, and was nothing short of spectacular in his first month with the team, posting an ERA of 2.00, and going 4-1, but his final start in August, things began to go south.  He followed up the stellar first 4 starts with a September ERA of 5.59 and a 4.76 in one October start, going 2-3 and finishing at only 6-4 for the Phillies in the regular season.  And this is in Philly, where the fans will bash EVERYONE, including Santa.

Anything look familiar??

Then the 2009 playoffs began, and he quickly quieted ALL skeptics and bashers.  He won 4 of his 5 stars, including the only 2 wins the Phillies had in the World Series defeat at the hand of the Yankees, with a no decision in the other game, but the team won all 5 games that he started.  By postseasons end, he posted a 4-0 record, with a 1.56 ERA and a 33-6 strikeout to walk total in over 40 innings pitched. 

You think by then anyone was spending any time talking about what he did from end of August through the final day of the regular season?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!

But here we are in 2010 with the Texas Rangers, a team who has not been to the postseason in over a decade, and finally with a stranglehold on the AL West as we begin the final month of the season, and Cliff Lee is struggling, and some fans who believe they know all have nothing intelligent to say about Cliff Lee other than he is purposely trying to sabotage this team.  What player is EVER going to purposely try and sabotage a team he is playing for when they are getting ready to play in the postseason and hopefully make a World Series run?  Especially a player who does not yet have a ring himself.

Then again, many of these are the same fans who put far to much stock in the regular season results and want to call the Mavericks and Cowboys champs in the middle of the season after they win a few in a row and get on a roll, and much of the same has happened this year with the Rangers.  It's all about the postseason.  Once you get there, those regular season performances DO NOT MATTER!

The best in their respective sports know how to turn it back on when the games get bigger after a few regular season struggles.  Come October, when Cliff Lee most likely turns everything back around and gives this team some great starts, each one of these fans who bash, Cowherd included, will completely change face, and want right back on the bandwagon that they are currently jumping off of.

THE CHEAT SHEET- Week 1

Editors note.. The Cheat Sheet is our weekly look at the upcoming college football weekend.

THANK YOU (insert whomever you pray to here), THE SEASON IS FINALLY UPON US! There have been multiple polls, writeup's, blogs, tweets and blerg's about the season. Conferences have gotten stronger, weaker, stayed the same... and yet, it takes PLAYIN THE FREAKIN GAMES to finally make everyone happy. So, without further delay, here is the first Cheat Sheet for 2010.

VIEWERS GUIDE:

Five Stars: You aren't leaving the house for this one.Outside of your wife/kids bleeding to death, you're watching this game. Even then, if you can put duck tape on it for a while, even better.

Four Stars: It isn't life or death to watch this game, but it's a good reason to activate your Slingbox on your dish/cable box and your phone if you do get out of the house.

Three Stars: You could and should be mowing or cleaning the garage, but this game is on and it gives you a good reason to act like your back is hurting for a while till it's not close anymore.

Two Stars: You're out shopping with the wife, planning the wedding with the GF, or actually mowing the yard and cleaning the garage, and this is the game that makes you think "Oh yea, that's on. I should check my phone for the score."

One Star: Go reshingle your doghouse, clean your toilet with your tongue, tar your roof with your bare feet. That would hurt less than watching this trainwreck.

#15 Pittsburgh at Utah, Thursday at 8:30 Eastern, Versus
  
This is a very tough game for Dave Wannestet and a team that has a suspect offensive line. Kyle Whittingham has a young defense, but playing in Salt Lake City is not a very good starter for anyone, let alone a Big East team that doesn't seem to travel west of the Mississippi very well. Pitt loses this one, and all of a sudden they could be staring a trainwreck start in the face with Miami coming up very soon. This one is a 4-star game because it will tell us a lot about how each team will be standing in the middle of the season. You can't fake it against Utah.

Illinois vs. Missouri, 11:30 Central, FSN

The reason I'm putting this game on is because the loser of this game head coach wise will be COOKING on his chair Monday Morning. Ron Zook has maybe a fifth of the talent he inherited recruited at Florida. How he has made it through to 2010 in Champagne, I really don't know. However, Gary Pinkel is close behind with three DWI's and a Sexual Assult charge against starting Running Back and Captain Derrick Washington, all since the beginning of August. You take that and add the fact that Pinkel didn't really tear it up in 2009, and you have a game that will basically start the death knoll of either head coach if they lose. Zook because he can't beat anyone, Pinkel for not being able to control his team on or off the field. Three and a half stars on this one, it will be good but I think Mizzou should be able to handle it.

Conneticut vs. Michigan, 2:30 Central, ABC

Have you seen the new Michigan Stadium? It looks great. New suites, bigger than ever before... and Fielding Yost will be the only person in the house if RichRod loses this game not to light it on fire as they leave. UConn is not a bad team at all. Randy Edsall's team has won their last 3 road openers by an average of almost 2 touchdowns. Plus, Greg Robinson has pictures of someone's wife and is STILL running this defense. Four star game here. If Tate Forcier can't score, and Michigan gets behind... what kind of mood will overcome The Big House? Plus, with a date in South Bend in week 2... ooh, it could get ugly fast kids.

Washington vs BYU, 6:00 Central

This is the game Jake Locker needs to shine in to be really considered a Heisman candidate. And Steve Sarkasian and Washington will be catching BYU in a pretty busy week. Earlier Wednesday, the school announced they will go Independant in football, while joining the West Coast Conference in every other sport. Opening at LaVell Edwards Stadium isn't normally a good place. However, Sarkasian has improved Locker and Washington so well, it shoudn't matter. Three star game, because this game should kick start the campaign for a West Coast player not playing in LA to win the award.

#24 Oregon State vs #6 TCU (@ Cowboys Stadium, Arlington), 6:00 Central, ESPN

This game is actually disappointing to me through the eyes of TCU. Cowboys Stadium is expecting only 40,000 tickets to be sold. That's a very sad story to me considering that the game is only 20 minutes from Fort Worth. With the expansion of Amon-Carter Stadium, one would think that Gary Patterson and TCU could use this game to kickstart the hype for this season. Oregon State is going to be looking to be the show stealer, and Jacquizz Rodgers is the playmaker that could do it. 2.5 stars on this one. Only diehards will be watching intently, however this is a good game to know how good TCU will be. Expect Andy Dalton to be rock solid as normal.

#21 North Carolina vs. #18 LSU (@ Georgia Dome, Atlanta) 8:00 Eastern, ABC

Two potential good teams here, and two trainwrecks trying to not self-combust all over the field. Les Miles need Gary Crowton and Jordan Jefferson to step up and make the Tigers a good offensive team. Good luck against the Tar Heels. Butch Davis, on the other hand, has had the NCAA investingating a lot of things ending in "gate". Ask Richard Nixon how that ends up. Take the unders on this one. Jefferson will have issues, as well as T.J. Yates. However, the NC Defense will end up winning this one. LSU will play well, but Carolina will be just that much better. Four star game here, one to see how teams that have been touted as being relevant in their divisions/conference should do here.

#3 Boise State vs. #10 Virginia Tech (@ FedEx Field, Landover MD) Monday 8:00 Eastern, ESPN

Two very good teams that should and will win their conferences. This game is Five star as they get early in the year. Tyrod Taylor the playmaker vs. Kellen Moore the winner. Frank Beamer and special teams vs Chris Peterson's never lose gameplan. This is more the game that Boise has to win rather than Virgina Tech can't lose. VaTech can still lose this game and be very relevant in the title hunt. Boise, on the other hand, has to jump on Tech early, hard, and often to win and make an impression to get ranked high enough to be a BCS contender. I do think Boise can win, but it won't be enough to keep the SEC homers from crying how overrated they are make the national writers anywhere but on the West Coast notice.


Coaches who should keep the movers and realtors on speed dial:

Ralph Friedgen: Maryland opens at home against Navy. Better be convincing in your win, and don't ask Charlie Weis how to gameplan that one.
Mike Stoops:  Ask Dan Hawkins what it's like to play at Toledo with a underacheiving bunch. Speaking of..
Dan Hawkins: Do they give intramural coaches extentions? Not ones that can't beat Colorado State.
Steve Spurrier: Yes, a SEC team should beat Southern Miss. Thats why you should be worried about Wesley Saunders' issues. This team can barely beat the scout team some weeks, and they need all the help they can get.

Food and Drink option for the weekend:

It's the first weekend of the season. You've been working out and prepping your liver and colon for this one. Therefore, you should take it easy on both of them for now. You need em the first week of November. So for food, we keep it simple with some sliders...

Texas Hold-Ums Mini Chipotle Beef Burgers with Warm Fire Roasted Garlic Ketchup

Ingredients
2 pounds ground sirloin
1 medium onion, peeled and cut in 1/2
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
2 chipotles in adobo and 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
2 tablespoons grill seasoning, a couple of palm fulls, (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 (15-ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes, about 2 cups
Salt and pepper
12 slices, 1/2-inch thick, brick-cut smoked Cheddar or sharp Cheddar, optional
12 small round rolls, split

Directions
Preheat grill pan to high.

Place the meat in a bowl. Cut the onion in half. Grate half the onion into the meat using the small grate on a
box grater. Chop and reserve the other half onion. Add Worcestershire, chipotles and sauce and grill seasoning
to burgers. Drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the bowl and mix meat. Score the meat into 4
sections. Make 3 mini-burgers, each 3 inches wide, 1-inch thick, from each half-pound of meat.

Heat a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic. Cook garlic 2 to 3 minutes
then add sugar and vinegar, cook 2 minutes more and stir in tomatoes. Season sauce with salt and pepper and
allow it to reduce 5 to 6 minutes more.

Grill meat 2 to 3 minutes on each side and top with cheese, if you like.

Place burgers on buns and top with raw chopped onions and warm fire roasted ketchup and serve.

MMMMMM... burgers. Keep it simple for the beverage this week. Your favorite American ale (Bud Light, Miller Lite) or even soda pop.

The mascot you love to hate:

Pac 10 version this week. Stanford, you get first dibs!

If you looked like that, you'd have to be drunk too. Wait.. that's encouraged?

AND FINALLY..

I'm not really going to tell you that I feel bad for Jeremiah Masoli, Houston Nutt, and Ole Miss for the NCAA not clearing Masoli for this season because, well, he's not very bright and couldn't keep the gig at Oregon. However, I am going to take an issue with the timing of the announcement and decision by the NCAA. I get that they have been busy in the Carolina's this late summer, however there is no reason this decision should have taken till Tuesday of game week. Remember, this is the same body that decided to keep their hands off of confrerence realignment, even though they are the ones who legislate, govern, and oversee all schools, BCS be damned or not. Personally, I don't think Masoli will make it to next year (although, that's 60-40 depending on his draft stock in January). However, if the NCAA can jump like a little kid scared cause Nick Saban is pissed off because agents hang around Tuscaloosa all day hoping to "run into" Mark Ingram or someone else, then there is no reason that someone at the clearinghouse can get off their asses and make this decision earlier in the process, not 3 days before Mississippi kicks off their season.

GO ENJOY THE WEEK, AND WE WILL BE BACK TUESDAY WITH OUR REVIEW.

The Clipboard duty ACC preview

There are a lot of ways you could look at the Atlantic Coast Conference for 2010. New coaches have come in (Jimbo Fisher at FSU, Mike London at Virginia), and several coaches that could be heading out (Ralph Friedgen at Maryland, Tom O'Brien at NC State). There are very good quarterbacks (Tyrod Taylor at VaTech, Jacory Harris at Miami), great runners (Joshua Nesbitt of GT), and fantastic receivers (Donovan Varner at Duke).

However, the conference will be decided by who can shut out distractions and just play the best football they possibly can. There is no question the conference is a basketball conference which just so happens to be good at football here and there. I do believe that there are a couple teams that could be great. Lets start with each division.

ATLANTIC DIVISION:

Florida State Seminoles: Last Year 7-6 (4-4)

Whether you believe that Bobby Bowden was fired, pushed, resigned, retired... it was time to go. The program he basically created had become third in the state of Florida. Usually, that still means you have the guns to compete. However, you wonder what restraints Bowden put on his coaches. Jimbo Fischer has already taken those restraints and thrown them away. Practices have quicker paces, there are new assistants that have brought in new systems, and there is new accountability. Does that mean this team will be better? Probably, however it may take a while to see it. Christian Ponder will have to be healthy from a faulty shoulder in order to match the numbers he had last year, which happened to lead the ACC in total offense. Offensively this team will be stacked at both the running back and wideouts. Jermaine Thomas will still be able to run like he did last year, and Bert Reed and Jarmon Fortson will replace the void from Rod Owens' graduation. Mark Stoops is in to run a defense that only has one way to go from being 108th last year. There is some depth questions at secondary, but there will be improvement.

Boston College Eagles: Last Year 8-5 (5-3)

They have the greatest story in college football this year with the return of LB Mark Herzlich from his battle with Ewing's Sarcoma (bone cancer), a very easy schedule, and a defense that doesn't let you run the ball and keeps you out of the end zone. So what's not to like? Well... there are the quarterback questions. Former Twins farmhand Dave Shinskie will get the first shot being the incumbent, but Justin Tuggle will be a option if Shinskie keeps throwing interceptions. Easier said than done with a very young wide receiver corp. The offense will go as long as Montel Harris stays healthy. The line is pretty solid, so I would think Harris can go for a 1300 yard season again. Defensively, this team must get sacks. The secondary was much better than numbers told you because this line, while able to stop any rushing attack, couldn't get a sack when they needed it. They get Virginia Tech and Notre Dame on back to back weeks at home, and if they get through there 4-0, they will have the confidence needed to be a top 10 team.

Clemson Tigers: Last year 9-5 (6-2)

Dabo Sweeney got the most out of his team last year, and it culminated with a division title. However, you lose C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford, and you have a very tough time replacing playmakers and leaders. I like Kyle Parker a lot, but the thought of him embracing being the BMOC will never be there with the lingering baseball playing time over his head. Plus, there are a lot of young players at wide receiver and tight end to replace. With no real option at running back yet, Parker will have to bear the load till playmakers emerge. That also puts a lot of pressure on this defense, which was alright last year but will have to be better in order for the Tigers to be winners. The line will have to anchor this team, with Jarvis Jenkins and Miguel Chavis having to be the cornerstones.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Last Year 5-7 (3-5)

Jim Grobe's team was one of if not the most unluckiest teams last year. There were countless fumbles, penalties, a muffed punt... well, if you're a fan, you know. To further the issue, this year's team will be one of the youngest ones in FBS. A combination of Skylar Jones and Brendan Cross will replace 4 year starter Riley Skinner at quarterback. Grobe will be hoping that Josh Adams returns to his ACC newcomer of the year status to help out at running back. If you see Jones at quarterback, don't be suprised to see Brandon Pendergrass at running back with him. It could easily be the fastest backfield duo in the conference. There are three great receivers in Marshall Williams, Devon Brown, and Chris Givens to throw to. With a iffy offensive line, look for a lot of perimiter plays and such to get the ball around. The defense will have to get better in the secondary to compete better, and with the trial-by-fire from last year, there is no doubt that there will be improvement.

North Carolina State Wolfpack: Last Year 5-7 (2-6)

The pressure to win in Raleigh is clearly on Tom O'Brien this year. While the schedule offers no favors, I do think, with the issues at Chapel Hill and finally being healthy, he will be alright come January. Russell Wilson is the real deal, and there is a stable of wideouts available starting with Jarvis Williams and Owen Spencer. With the line issues and the uncertainty at running back, this team will have to throw to win. This team must improve defensively from allowing 31 ppg last year. T.J Graham will easily be the premier return man in the ACC again, and Josh Czajkowski is as close to money as they come. For O'Brien to return in 2011, he better be.

Maryland Terrapins: Last Year 2-10 (1-7)

How Ralph Friedgen kept his job, I am still trying to figure out. Maybe he has pictures, blackmail.. I really don't know. This team will be much more experienced this season, however that won't make them necessarily better skill wise. The strength of the team is at linebacker, with Alex Wujack, Darin Drakeford, and Adrian Moten doing work back there. Offensively, wide receiver is and will be the deepest and most talented. Da'Rell Scott and Davin Meggett will be only as good as a experienced yet young line will let them be. Opening against Navy and West Virginia will not help Fridge keep his job.


COASTAL DIVISION

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Last Year 11-3 (7-1)

Nobody laughs at Paul Johnson now. Oh, they did when he thought he could bring the double wing option to the ACC. With their first outright conference title since the national title year of 1990, he has brought back life to the Ramblin Wreck. Offensively, they run till till you put 11 in the box, then run some more. Joshua Nesbitt will be the catylist once again, running and throwing for over 2700 yards last year. Expect Anthony Allen to continue the number Jonathan Dwyer came up with. Johnson hired Al Groh to run the defense that was okay, but nothing spectacular last year. He will change to a 3-4 this year, with the main issue replacing ACC defender of the year Derrick Morgan. Expect the secondary to be the strength of the defense. The game in Blacksburg Nov. 4th will be for the division title and possibly have national championship implications for the Yellow Jackets.

Virginia Tech Hokies: Last Year 10-3 (6-2)

Most teams wish they could compete for a conference and national championship while rebuilding. And yet, the Hokies seem to have not done a lot with what they have had available to them. Tyrod Taylor is back, and is looking to finally provide a consistant offense for Frank Beamer. Ryan Williams led the ACC in rushing last year, and Darren Evans returns from a torn ACL to make the attack even more potent. There is youth on defense, but when has Bud Foster ever had a bad unit, age be damned? The opening game against Boise State at FedEx Field will either make the national title hopes rise or crash to the ground. The conference schedule isn't very forgiving (games at GT, NC, Miami) but expect VaTech to be in the mix come December.

Miami Hurricanes: Last Year 9-4 (5-3)

The contract extention finally came to Randy Shannon after a 9 win season, and this team could be even better this season. This team is starting to look physically like the great Miami teams of the 2000's, fast and physical on both sides of the ball. Jacory Harris will still be the man that will lead the offense, throwing to proven playmakers Leonard Hankerson and LaRon Byrd. The defense is loaded in the front seven but shaky in the secondary where they were lit up like the Rockerfeller Christmas Tree during the spring game by everyone but Harris. Matt Bosher is probably the best all-around kicker east of the Mississippi. Games at Ohio State and Pittsburgh will tell soon if this team is going to be as good as last year's group was.

North Carolina Tar Heels: Last Year 8-5 (4-4)

Butch Davis loves to just stockpile talent. Pretty easy with John Blake on your staff to do that. That being said, the NCAA also has an interest in Blake, and that's never good for your program. The Heels are loaded on defense, which will be good with Marvin Austin and Robert Quinn anchoring this line (that's if the NCAA doesn't find anything to keep them out). Quan Sturvant and Bruce Carter are first round draft picks at linebacker. The reason that the Heels have not gone farther is because of an anemic (at best) offense. T.J. Yates is back at quarterback and tight end Zack Pianalto return, along with Ryan Houston who was a nice suprise after injuried depleted the running back spot. Opening against LSU, Georgia Tech, and at Rutgers will test this offense quickly. If there are issues after three games, expect Davis' seat to get very hot very quickly. Carolina doesn't like to lose, and with the NCAA wanting some answers about Blake and Austin, this could get out of hand for Butch easily.

Duke Blue Devils: Last Year 5-7 (3-5)

I really like what David Cutcliffe has done with Duke football. I feel like he wasn't appreciated at Ole Miss, and he is going to show what he can do at Durham. The facilities are getting a much needed facelift, and the team is really competitive for the first time in a while. Donovan Varner is a stud at receiver in a defensively stout division. Sean Renfree is a classic drop back passer who will have Varner and two veteran tight ends to use. However, this team MUST run better to be a threat (last year's rushing leader for Duke was Desmond Scott with 262 yards.). The defense will be young and inexperieced, as graduation and dismissals have thinned out all spots, especially on the line. I expect Duke to make a bowl game this year, and with Alabama coming to town Sept. 18 for a nationally televised game, the exposure will only help Cutcliffe get the Blue Devils even better in the future.

Virginia Cavaliers: Last Year 3-9 (2-6)

Mike London comes into Virginia with a FCS title at Richmond. He knows how to win, but with what Al Groh left him, lets hope he has patience too. This is the third offensive system in as many years in Charlottesville, and the defense will go back to a 4-3. There will be some passing done, as Marc Verica will have a pretty deep wideout crew to throw it to. The defense will not be great, but will get better as players get acclimated to new spots in a new scheme. Without a lot of time to save the recruiting class (only 17 signed, what a concept Houston Nutt!), there will be some lean times for Virginia. They will be better next year, and London has to just make sure they stay focused on the process of becoming a good team.


PREDICTIONS:

Atlantic: Florida State

Coastal: Georgia Tech

Conference Winner:  Georgia Tech


The Wreck will be the champion in a very competitive yet rebuilding themed conference. I think Virginia Tech is too green on defense, and Miami is not good enough in the secondary to turn the corner this year. Florida State will have a great rennisance with Jimbo Fisher running the show. However, Paul Johnson has too much discipline in his offense and program to just fold under pressure.

Player of the year: Joshua Nesbitt, Georgia Tech

Coach of the year: Jimbo Fischer, Florida State

The Clipboard Big East Preview

For a conference that was very good about three years ago, the Big East has fallen on hard times football-wise. From RichRod's failure to take West Virginia to powerhouse status, to Cincinatti going belly-up after Brian Kelly walked away from a undefeated team going to the Sugar Bowl, there has been more wimper than bang at the end of the year. Without a real dominant team this year, I can't really see anyone in this league doing much of anything unless you go on a game-by-game basis.

Contenders:

Connecticut Huskies: Last year 8-5 (3-4)

There was a lot of heartache last year with this team. Not only was there a lot of close games that didn't go Randy Edsall's way, the October death of Jasper Howard made a lot of things come into perspective for such a young team. However, the Huskies stayed the course and finished with a very respectable 8 win season. Virtually every starter comes back, starting with Zack Fraser leading an offense that wasn't bad at all (31.2 ppg, 27th overall in FBS). However, this team will live and die with the secondary, which was a little green last year. Maturity and Edsall's leadership will help this team contend, along with a pretty favorable schedule. They do open at Michigan, and with how everyone in Ann Arbor walking on eggshells to see RichRod finally open with a win, the victory is their's for the taking.

Cincinatii Bearcats: Last year 12-1 (7-0)

Oh, Brian Kelly.. what I would have given to see you go against Florida in the Sugar Bowl. But alas, you had to run to $outh Bend where you needed to get started. There will be two constants from 2009 that will stay in Cincinatti. That Zack Collaros will be just as good if not better than he was while replacing a injured Tony Pike, and how the defense has little to zero depth. Butch Davis will be going to a 3-4, but it won't matter if they are still bad in the secondary. Expect to play the overs a lot from this team, especially when they play in Norman.


Pittsburgh Panthers: Last year 10-3 (5-2)

Remember a couple of years ago when we thought Dave Wannestet was going to go the way of Bill Callahan and flame out as another guy who should stay in the NFL? He's actually done very well now, but there is a consensus that he just can't take the next step. Tino Sunseri steps in to replace much maligned Bill Stull. Expect this defense to be just as good as it was last year, which will be needed because this offense will struggle with interior line issues. Yes, they have Dion Lewis. But it won't matter behind this line. It also doesn't help to start your season at Utah either.

West Virginia Mountaineers: Last year 9-4 (5-2)

Dear Bill Stewart, the natives are restless! They won't care if Geno Smith is a Sophomore, they want to win. Noel Devine is going to have to make or break you, because I have no clue who you expect to throw it to. Defensively, you're going to have to be as good as you think you will be. While I think you will be better than people think, your best way to prove it is going to Death Valley Sept. 25th.

Pretenders:


South Florida Bulls: Last Year 8-5 (3-4)

Jim Leavitt built a lot of this program. Unfortuanely, temper tantrum and beating kids got him a infinite day pass away. I'm not a Skip Holtz fan (i'm not a Holtz fan period, but that's another show), but it's too hard to overlook what they lost on defense. Pierre-Paul, Selvie, and Allen? Gone. Matt Grothe? Gone. B.J. Daniels does have some experience coming back, and they will be closer than people think, but opening with Stony Brook, followed by going to the Swamp will not treat this team well. However, the rest of the out of conference schedule will get them ready for the meat of the schedule.

Syracuse Orangemen: Last Year 4-8 (1-6)

Doug Marone, damnit, you are trying hard! You will probably be 3-1 going into conference play, but not having Delone Carter will hurt you when the weather gets cold and you have to move out of the toasty air of the CarrierDome. Ryan Nassib is a step up from a unwanted Duke point guard, but I can't see you being too much better this year. The max for this team would just to make a bowl game, which would be better than anything Greg Robinson ever did for you.

Louisville Cardinals: Last Year 4-8 (1-6)

Charlie Strong is a great hire for the other team in Kentucky. He is a great offensive mind who can make anything happen.. and even he will have his hands and a dumptruck full trying to get this team over 20 ppg. Adam Froman will get the keys to the Edsel first, but I have a feeling there will be much to see from Justin Burke. With a new offensive scheme and two good runners in Jeremy Wright and Victor Anderson, they will be better, even if the defense can't stop anyone (which they wont).

Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Last Year 9-4 (3-4)

Greg Schiano is a good coach, but it also just seems like he's waiting for JoePa to finally retire from Penn State so he can get out of Jersey. This team came out like champs but fizzled badly last year, and it doesn't help that three offensive line starters need to be replaced. If they can show anything of a running game, Tom Savage will do his thing and be able to move this offense. The schedule helps early (recurring theme with this conference, no?), but when all your tough conference games are on the road, you better be able to move the line of scrimmage on both sides. I don't think they will be able to.

BT'S CONFERENCE WINNER: West Virginia

The differnce that sets WVU over UConn and Pittsburgh is the defense. Bill Stewart has a hot seat in Morgantown (hotter than it should be, because RichRod is coming back?)and will win at Pittsburgh on Nov 26th for the title. Experience isn't a bad thing, and West Virginia has it in the right places for this season.

Player of the Year: Noel Devine

Coach of the Year: Doug Marone (For getting Syracuse to a bowl game? Easy!

Big Ten Preview: Can Ohio State Win the National Championship and Do You Know John Clay?

College football is just around the corner and while the people in the South, especially the Southeast, believe that they are “football country” but the North is where real football is played. The cold early Saturday mornings will be good watching for football purists again this year with a few schools looking to make a run at Pasadena and one with legitimate national championship dreams.

National Championship Material?
Ohio State University
The Ohio State Buckeyes look to follow the University of Texas 2004-2006 team’s footsteps by using a Rose Bowl win over Oregon as a launching pad to the national championship.

The Buckeyes are led on offense by their ultra-athletic quarterback Tyrelle Pryor and will go as far as he takes them. Pryor is not a shoe in to be great in 2010 though. The QB has been inconsistent at best while in Columbus and part of that is the seeming reluctance of Jim Tressel to truly turn the potential playmaker loose.

The running game will again be the heart and soul of this team. For all of Pryor’s ability he a legit running threat and their offense is built to move the ball five yards at a time. The skill at receiver is pretty low for one of the top five programs in the country reaffirming my belief that the running game will be featured. Pryor can sling it all over the yard but it takes two to complete a pass and they do not have the proven horses to match up with elite secondaries.

If Jim Tressel is the coach you know their team is going to be tough on defense. There is no lack of playmakers on defense and the unit will suffocate opposing attacks. The truth is that outside there is no offense in the Big Ten that matches the Buckeye defense well. Ohio State will be in every game because of this unit.

With a very manageable schedule and more talent than their conference counterparts, Ohio State are looking a possible undefeated regular season. They will get tested by Penn State, Iowa, Michigan, Miami, and Wisconsin but are favorites in every match. If they play to their potential and stick to “Tressel ball” we could see them in Glendale in January of 2011.

Big Games: 9/11 v. Miami (FL), 10/16 at Wisconsin, 11/13 v. Penn State, 11/20 at Iowa, 11/23 v. Michigan

Prediction: Conference Champions, 11-1 with a loss to Iowa

Bowl Game: Rose Bowl

The Contenders
University of Wisconsin
Bret Bielema’s group is not fancy. They are the epitome of Big Ten football. This year will not be any different. They pound the ball for sixty minutes on both sides and I love it! John Clay is the best running back for Wisconsin since Ron Dayne and will receive a similar workload. Running behind an experienced and tough offensive line means that Big Ten defenses better come to play physical. This offense is tailor made for the cold northern winters of the Big Ten and if you love the running game John Clay is a must see. The defense is not flashy but is solid. They wrap up and make tackles. In an offensively challenged Big Ten that is key.

Big Games: 10/16 v. Ohio State, 10/23 at Iowa

Prediction: 11-1 with a loss to Ohio State

Bowl Game: Fiesta Bowl

University of Iowa
Like Ohio State, the Hawkeyes are looking to use a BCS bowl victory as a launching pad for success this season. A team that seemed to play with fire on a weekly basis and survived injury to quarterback Ricky Stanzi somehow made it to the Orange Bowl and beat Georgia Tech. It seems that 2009-2010 was the return of Kirk Ferentz after a few years of sub-par performances.

Their offense is led by Stanzi who is a year older and wiser as a returning starter and senior. Stanzi has three of his top five receivers coming back with him behind an experienced offensive line. For all their experience the Hawkeyes still lack true playmakers but do enough on offense to get the job done. Another year together will not hurt.

Tyler Stash and Jeff Tarpinian lead an experienced a ball hawking defense back. Truth be told, the defense is the reason for Iowa’s success last year. The group is returning upper-classmen at every position and should be able to create the type of play that made the Hawkeyes an 11 win team last year.

Big Games: 10/2 v. Penn State, 10/23 v. Wisconsin, 11/20 v. Ohio State

Prediction: 10-2, losses to Wisconsin and Penn State

Bowl Game: Capitol One Bowl

The Rest
Penn State returns RB Evan Royster but loses a lot with the graduation of QB Daryl Clark. For all the offensive and defensive talent this is a team that will need a quarterback to step up before we know how good they will be, especially in conference play. Sophomore Kevin Newsome is the leader to replace Clark and the kid better be ready to fulfill the expectations in Happy Valley. The defense is good and will keep them in most games behind a strong secondary. Alabama in week two will be tough.

Prediction: 8-4

Michigan State missed a winning season in 2009-2010 with a loss in the Alamo Bowl to Texas Tech. The returns of Kirk Cousins (QB), Greg Jones (OLB), and Eric Gordon (OLB) have me excited about this team making progress. Mike Dantonio is a very good coach and I think he has his team ready to take a step forward. I am interested to see how Keith Nichol transitions from QB to WR this year.

Prediction: 7-5

Michigan is in the “rest” category again. The once storied program is getting more publicity for Rich Rodriquez’ inability to read a clock than their athletes or potential play on the field. Jonas Mouton and Troy Woolfork are good young talents on defense but the loss of Brandon Graham will hurt. Incumbent QB Tate Forcier returns but I wonder how long before Denard Robinson gets the keys to the spread option full-time? I think it is soon if the season starts slow. Is this going to be another bad season in Ann Arbor? If so, Michigan alumni Jim Harbaugh and Les Miles may want to keep their cell phone handy.

Prediction: 7-5

Purdue got an infusion of talent at the quarterback position with Robert Marve transferring from Miami (FL). Purdue returns most of its skill position talent on an offense that is designed to score in bunches. Marve’s ability to pick up the offense and play well will have a huge effect on a team that is replacing three starters on the offensive line and five total on defense. Depending on Marve’s play this team could surprise and win eight games this year.

Prediction: 6-6

Minnesota is at a crossroads in 2010. Coach Tim Brewster as certainly improved the recruiting profile of the program and the new stadium is nice, although it may be the coldest in the NCAA, but that has not translated to on the field success. The Golden Gophers return nine starters on offense, including quarterback Adam Weber and his talented back up Marques Gray. Weber was up and down last year and without star wideout Eric Decker there is a chance Brewster moves the Gophers to a more run based attack and inserts Gray full time. While the Gophers return experience on offense the defense loses nine starters from a sub-par group. It may be another cold long year in Minneapolis but Brewster’s seat may get hotter and hotter as the season progresses.

Prediction: 5-7

Northwestern lost eight guys on defense and twelve on offense from an 8-5 team. Dan Persa will take over at quarterback in an up-tempo offense. Truthfully there is not much to like about this team but their offense always keeps them in games and wacky things seem to happen when they are involved.

Prediction: 5-6

Indiana’s program failed to build off their success in 2008 in the 2009 season. 2010 looks to be another disappointment. The program returns eight starters on offense but only four on defense. Unless success comes with the youth movement it will be another year of looking forward to basketball season. The two bright spots for the Hoosiers are returning starters Ben Chappel (QB) and Darius Willis (HB). Both players could have good seasons.

Prediction: 4-8

Illinois is a rare case of a team losing their four year starting quarterback and having good odds of being better for it. For all his talent, Juice Williams never got close to fulfilling his potential. With no Arrelious Benn and Jon Asamoh the offense for the Fighting Illini is a mystery. Jared Fayson is a talent but there is little else to get excited about in what could be Zook’s final season.

Prediction: 3-9

Game of the Year: 10/16 Ohio State at Wisconsin
Offensive Player of the Year: John Clay, RB, Wisconsin
Defensive Player of the Year: Tie: Jonas Mouton, LB, Michigan/Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State
Freshman of the Year: Jamaal Berry, RB, Ohio State
Coaches that will be fired: Rich Rodriquez, Michigan; Tim Brewster, Minnesota; Ron Zook, Illinois

To the Surprise of Nobody, Brett Favre Returns, AGAIN

You knew he could not walk away from the game with this look
on his face after the NFC Title game loss to the Saints.

In case somehow you have avoided all things sports in the past month, Brett Favre did some of his usual antics, only this time not going quite so far as if to actually announce an actual retirement, yet still indicating multiple times that he would not 100% for sure be playing in the September 9th opener in New Orleans, a rematch of last season's NFC Title Game, or for that matter, anytime during the 2010 season.

But did anybody really think there was any way he wouldn't be there donning his purple get-up opposite Drew Brees to get the season going?

This guy sure did not, nor do I imagine many others anywhere really had any doubts.  Not after the season he had last year.  Not after the heartbreaking way it ended.  And surely not with the way the schedule begins this season.

But is Brett Favre really to blame at all for this becoming yet another media spectacle, even if it did not even begin to compare to what the sporting world went through in the summer of '09, or is it really the media themselves?

It was almost instantaneous after the loss in New Orleans in January that the media began to talk about whether or not he would return. We would get the occasional break over the next few months when the LeBron talk would heat up, along with the 'where would Tebow end up saga', but throughout it all, any football talk in May and June had to have some mention of whether or not Favre may play in 2010.

As soon as LeBron made his 'DECISION', you almost had to expect that ESPN was doing all they could to get Favre to make his own 'Decision', although ESPN stands by their notion that they had nothing to do with the LeBron ordeal, nor did they benefit from it.  But as much as I like ESPN as a network, I fully realize just how much they can beat a story into the ground, and even this summer's Favre saga was no different.

A simple text message from Favre a few weeks back blew up to the fact that he was retiring, and maybe he did actually say to a few friends/teammates that he was stepping away during a down moment because of his ankle, but he stood by his saying that is his ankle was healthy, he would play, and now we have come to realize that was in fact the case.

Viking teammates Steve Hutchinson, Jared Allen and Ryan Longwell flew down to Mississippi, presumably to find out what his decision would be, and maybe to do a little coaxing at the same time, and if so, that is fine.  Tedy Bruschi of ESPN says he has lost all respect if that is the case, but WHY?  They know full well just who Favre is, and what he means to the team, and in no way do I think that disrespects the other QB's on the team, they just know Favre is a real legend of the game.  It was also August 17th, 1 day short of one full year of his return last year, time to get things rolling or move along if he were not going to return.

But now that he is back, the anticipation for the new football season can resume, and the anticipation of one of the best opening night NFL games in recent memory.  We do not have to endure another New York/Washington bore fest, or another Pittsburgh/Tennessee defensive battle to get things started.  We can sit back and watch the fireworks that the 2 high powered offenses of the Saints and Vikings are sure to provide, and get the season rolling along right away.

We can also rest assured in the world of fantasy football that Favre will indeed be there, and Sidney Rice is not some extremely risky pick in the early rounds as a receiver.  But more on all the fantasy talk later.

For the first time in 4 years, this blogger is finally happy that Favre is not leaving the game.